List of colossal sculpture in situ

This is a list of colossal sculptures that were carved in situ (or "in place"), sometimes referred to as "living rock". This list includes two colossal stones that were intended to be moved. However, they were never broken free of the quarry in which they were carved, and therefore they would be considered carved in situ. Most of these were carved in ancient times.

In most cases, especially in India, the sculptures were carved out of "soft" rock like basalt or volcanic tuff. However, in some cases they were carved out of harder rock like sandstone, or even granite in the case of the unfinished obelisk. The Egyptians may have been limited to using 10-pound dolerite balls to chip away at the granite.^[1] Dynamite was used in the carving of Mount Rushmore, another of the few colossal sculptures that was carved out of granite.

Africa

Great Sphinx of Giza, Egypt – limestone
Abu Simbel, Egypt – sandstone
The unfinished obelisk at Aswan, Egypt – granite
Seti I, Egypt – limestone

Asia

One of the Buddhas of Bamiyan

Buddhas of Bamiyan, Afghanistan – sandstone, destroyed in 2001 by the Government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban)
Leshan Giant Buddha, China
Bingling Temple, China
Ajanta Caves, India
Badami Cave Temples, India
Elephanta Caves, India
Barabar Caves, India
Ellora Caves, India
Kailashnath Temple, Ellora, India
Kanheri Caves, India
List of India cave temples
List of Caves in India
List of rock-cut temples in India
Vijayanagara, India
Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, India
Behistun, Iran
Naqsh-e Rustam, Iran
Petra, Jordan – sandstone
"The stone of the south" near Baalbek, Lebanon – limestone
Mada'in Saleh, Saudi Arabia
Avukana Buddha statue, Sri Lanka - granite
Gal Vihara, Sri Lanka - granite
Sigiriya, Sri Lanka – granite
Cappadocia, Turkey

Americas

Chachapoya cliff tombs at Revash, Peru ^[2]
Chavín de Huantar's Old Temple, Peru ^[3]
Mount Rushmore, United States – granite
Crazy Horse Memorial, United States – pegmatite granite - work in progress
Stone Mountain, United States – granite
Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, Cundinamarca, Colombia
El Diablo de Tandapi, Pichincha, Ecuador

Europe

Footnotes

↑ Edwards, Dr. I.E.S.: The Pyramids of Egypt 1986/1947 p. 269-273
↑ Archeology magazine Jan/Feb 2008 p. 40-45
↑ The Early Ceremonial Center of Chavín de Huántar, Berger p. 130

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